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Coyotes-Wolves-Cougars.blogspot.com

Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars/ mountain lions,bobcats, wolverines, lynx, foxes, fishers and martens are the suite of carnivores that originally inhabited North America after the Pleistocene extinctions.
This site invites research, commentary, point/counterpoint on that suite of native animals (predator and prey) that inhabited The Americas circa 1500-at the initial point of European exploration and subsequent colonization.
Landscape ecology, journal accounts of explorers and frontiersmen, genetic evaluations of museum animals, peer reviewed 20th and 21st century research on various aspects of our "Wild America" as well as subjective commentary from expert and layman alike. All of the above being revealed and discussed with the underlying goal of one day seeing our Continent rewilded.....Where big enough swaths of open space exist with connective corridors to other large forest, meadow, mountain, valley, prairie, desert and chaparral wildlands.....Thereby enabling all of our historic fauna, including man, to live in a sustainable and healthy environment. - Blogger Rick

Drought delays moving pronghorn to West Texas

Researchers to wait till next year to add more pronghorn to declining West Texas population

KSAT.COM

DALLAS (AP) — Researchers studying the decline of the pronghorn population in West Texas will wait until at least next year to relocate more of the animals to the area because of the ongoing drought.

"We will not make any headway until that drought is reversed," said Louis Harveson, director of the Borderlands Research Institute for Natural Resource Management at Sul Ross State University in Alpine.

The institute is working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to study the drop.
Researchers had hoped that studying pronghorn transplanted last spring from the Panhandle — where there's a thriving population — would both bolster the population and provide some clues about what was wrong among West Texas pronghorn.

But a year of harsh conditions including freezes, drought, extreme heat and wildfires took a toll on the research. Harveson said once rains to return to the area, researchers are hopeful they can bring around 500 of the animals to the area.

Pronghorn have a body type somewhat like a deer, with distinctive white stripes on their faces and necks and white markings that come halfway up their sides.

In the mid-1980s, West Texas had about 17,000 of the animals, but since then the population has mostly been on the decline to a 30-year low of 3,745 animals recorded last year. Researchers say that while the animals have been affected by drought at times, that alone can't explain the decline. For instance, following drought in the 1990s, pronghorn populations showed an initial recovery before continuing a decline even after good rainfalls.

Among possible culprits is a type of parasitic worm that has been found in high numbers in West Texas pronghorn. But it is possible the worms are simply taking advantage of pronghorn weakened by something else.

Eighty of the about 200 pronghorn that were transplanted to West Texas in February 2011 were fitted with radio collars. Of those, 63 died: 11 died in transport or from effects of the transport; 15 were killed by predators; two were killed by vehicles; two died from the parasitic worm and 33 died of unknown causes.
Harveson said it's often hard to determine the cause of death if they don't get to the body soon enough because of the damage done by animals eating the carcass.

Among the early findings of researchers is that Among possible culprits is a type of parasitic worm that has been found in high numbers in West Texas pronghorn. But it is possible the worms are simply taking advantage of pronghorn weakened by something else.

Pronghorn are reluctant to jump fences, so a pronghorn-friendly fence would be far enough off the ground for them to squeeze under. "We're not out of the woods. We still have a long road ahead of us," Harveson said. "We're hoping everyone won't give up on the pronghorn."

Two Massachusetts Eastern Coyotes at their den site

Eastern Wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Aldo Leopold--3 quotes from his SAN COUNTY ALMANAC

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

Aldo Leopold

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

Aldo Leopold

''To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."

Wildlife Rendezvous

Like so many conscientious hunters and anglers come to realize, good habitat with our full suite of predators and prey make for healthy and productive living............Teddy Roosevelt depicted at a "WILDLIFE RENDEZVOUS"

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This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer. In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time…I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of my various thoughts and opinions, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Rick Meril and WWW.COYOTES-WOLVES-COUGARS.COM make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.